William Hill owner Evoke in talks on £225m takeover by casino group Bally’s

Heavily indebted UK-listed gambling company says it is discussing possible offer from US group at 50p a share

• Business live – latest updates

Evoke, the London-listed gambling company that owns William Hill and the 888 online casino brand, is in takeover talks with the US casino operator Bally’s Intralot.

The heavily indebted company said in a statement to the stock market that it is in discussions with Bally’s “regarding a possible offer” for the business at 50p a share, almost a third higher than its closing price on Friday and valuing the group at £225m.